HIGHLIGHTS

Congress leader PL Punia says he saw Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Vijay Mallya "talking discreetly" in Parliament in March 2016, two days before the former liquor baron fled India.

"If I'm wrong, I'll resign from politics," Punia said today.

Punia said there were CCTV cameras, and "we can all see that for proof". Yesterday, he said the meeting was "prolonged".

On 1st March 2016, when I was in Central Hall of Parliament House, I witnessed @arunjaitley and Vijay Mallya talking discretely. On 3rd March, we heard from media that he fled the country on 2nd March, 2016: @plpunia#ArunJaitleyStepDown

Jaitley, on his part, said he never met Vijay Mallya formally. He said Mallya accosted him the corridor of Parliament, and made an "offer of settlement".

"Having been fully briefed about his earlier 'bluff offers', without allowing him to proceed with the conversation, I curtly told him 'there was no point talking to me and he must make offers to his bankers'," Jaitley said.

Mallya said yesterday that he met Arun Jaitley before he left India, but later said he never met the finance minister formally.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Mallya's allegations were "extremely serious", and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order an independent probe. "Arun Jaitley should step down as Finance Minister while this probe is underway," Gandhi said in a tweet.